Fushigi Yuugi Fan Fiction ❯ Rescuing Tasuki ❯ Chapter 1 ( One-Shot )

Warnings: Slash, Gender Switching (and therefore something that could possibly considered Het), Lemon. If it gets a little angsty, it is only to make the sap even sweeter.

Disclaimer: I am just borrowing Tasuki and Chichiri, and anything else from Fushigi Yuugi that strikes me as pretty. They are not mine and please do not sue. I'd be very sad.

AN: This fic is delivered, with my humble apologies, to Keimei and the fytaschiml on Yahoo Groups. I sincerely hope you all enjoy it and that it makes up in part for my grumbling! And I'm sorry it took so long - there's an awful lot going on in real life now and it was very difficult to focus enough to write.

AN Part 2: As hinted above, Chichiri spends some time in female form in this fic. Since the voice used is 3rd person omniscient, I elected to use masculine pronouns when Chichiri is thinking of himself and feminine when others are looking at or thinking of him. I really hope this isn't confusing…I did it this way because it struck me as the most accurate way of representing each of the character's thoughts. Please tell me if I'm wrong!

AN Part 3: About witches…the highly underdeveloped, plot-device of an excuse for a villain in my fic is in no way intended to represent real witches, good or bad. Tasuki and Chichiri think of her as a witch because she is a single woman using magic, but she does not refer to herself as such.

Many thanks to Moonraven for stopping me before I made a few very bad mistakes in this.

Rescuing Tasuki

by Xellas M.

Damn women. Damn every last one of 'em straight ta hell, where they belonged. Damn, damn, damn and damn.

With every curse, Tasuki stopped pacing long enough to beat his head against the brick wall of his cell. With any luck, he'd either knock some sense into himself or end up blissfully unconscious. Anything to dampen the fire that was beginning to burn uncontrollably within him.

He should have known something was up the minute the strange old hag had rushed into the bandit hideout, babbling some story or other about a rival gang attacking her neighbors. They lived on a mountain, for Suzaku's sake! How many neighbors could the old bint possibly have? But he'd been too worked up over the imaginary threat to think clearly and had agreed to accompany the ugly witch back to her home, alone. So as not to give away their presence, she had said. Tasuki would do a little recon, and then come back with his bandits to drive away the newcomers. The fire seishi snorted at his own gullibility.

They'd made it back to the small cabin without seeing any signs of the supposed rival bandit gang, which should have given him a clue. He paused in his reflections long enough for another round of head banging, and then resumed his mental self-flagellation.

She'd invited him in for a meal and he'd accepted. Over a moderately well prepared dish of (What else?) fish (as if he didn't get enough of THAT on the road with Chichiri), he'd been forced to listen to the harridan's pathetic whining about how she'd never married or had children and how her time was nearly up. By the looks of her, it had come and gone over a decade ago, but she hadn't paused long enough in her narration to allow him to point this out.

The mysterious lady did not say anything worth listening to - until he started feeling too woozy to understand. Then, the babbling had taken on an underlying smugness, and the bitch told him that she'd drugged the food. That she'd cast some kind of spell, and that he was going to give her a child she wanted whether he liked it or not. He'd lost consciousness entirely at that point and had woken up in this small cell who-knew-where, stripped of his precious Tessen. And his coat, and his shirt, and his boots. Thank Suzaku he still had his pants!

Aside from the beginnings of a perfectly normal headache caused by slamming his head repeatedly into a brick wall, Tasuki felt fine. If anything, he felt better than ever; his skin seemed charged with energy and adrenaline was coursing through his veins as though he were about to do battle. His senses were heightened and his breath came shallow and fast. What in Suzaku's name was happening to him?

* * * * *

Chichiri smiled and bowed to Taiitskun as he made his farewells. It had been a pleasant visit. The Universe of the Four Gods was largely at peace and his time spent on the holy mountain had been full of new and pleasant revelations. Without having to prepare her student for an impending crisis for a change, Taiitskun had shown a lighter and more playful side of her personality. Of course, it would have been nice if the Creator had found something else to joke with her pupil about instead of endlessly teasing him about his crush on the only other remaining seishi. Chichiri blushed bright red as he remembered several of her very earthy "helpful suggestions".

"Thinking of Tasuki again?" Taiitskun's old woman form smirked. "I told you, all you have to do is tie him up and-"

"Daaaa! Don't you have more important things to concentrate on, like running the world, no da? Isn't someone in trouble somewhere or something, no da?" The flustered mage did not want to hear what his teacher had in mind. Not that some of her other ideas hadn't been educational, but…

Damn. He was blushing again.

Suddenly, Taiitskun's eyes closed and a look of intense concentration that bordered on worry crossed her ugly face.

"Chichiri, there's something you need to see." With a graceful gesture that somehow did not seem to match the wizened arm that made it, the creator activated her mirror.

The well seishi watched, mesmerized, as the image of a small underground room formed on the magical silver surface. A cell was cut into the earth at one side, separated from the rest of the room by a heavy metal gate. Tasuki paced irritably up and down the short length of his prison, occasionally pausing to bang his head against the wall.

Chichiri noted with relief that his friend seemed unhurt. Still concerned, he watched the younger man carefully. Maybe it was the way the bandit moved around restlessly, stalking something unseen like a trapped wolf, or maybe it was the slight gleam that came from tanned skin covered in a thin sheen of sweat, but the monk's mind was drawn away from his concern, instead focusing on the smooth planes of the redhead's chest, the sweet curve of his lower back, the width of his shoulders. Tasuki had never looked as good to the monk as he did at that moment.

"Chichiri, you're drooling." Taiitskun informed him smugly.

The blue haired man sweatdropped and attempted to pull his thoughts from out of the gutter. The minute he finally succeeded in doing so, Tasuki's captor entered the scene. Chichiri's fingers tightened in anger around his staff as he listened to their conversation.

* * * * *

A figure descended a narrow, rickety staircase at one end of the room bordering Tasuki's cell. She had returned. The trapped man groaned, determined not to show weakness. He was temporarily distracted by a sudden involuntary tightening in his groin. Something was wrong, very wrong, for him to be feeling that way.

"Awake already?" The woman approached his cell, leering at him through the bars. It was enough to make the fire seishi wish for not only his coat, but also Chichiri's kesa and anything else that would shield his naked chest from her heated gaze.

Tasuki crossed his arms in front of him and glared right back at her. He took in her stringy, greasy gray hair, her face that was heavily lined with scorn and cruelty for others, her mouth which contained only a few rotting teeth. His stomach turned and it was enough to block out the strange signals his body was sending, at least temporarily.

She sighed appreciatively. "Better than I'd ever hoped. Young, strong, and a Suzaku seishi besides! Our child will have the blessing of the gods…"

"Ya seriously can't think that I'm gonna fuck someone like *you*! Are you fucking insane, bitch?"

The hag laughed a little at that. She replied with a hint of amusement, as though she hadn't been insulted and her sanity questioned. "I guess I do owe you an explanation. Of course we're going to make love, dear. In another half hour or so you won't be able to help yourself."

"Bullshit." Replied Tasuki flatly.

The greasy-haired woman appeared affronted at having her honesty questioned. She drew herself up and explained haughtily, "That potion is one of my most powerful. It awakens every stirring of lust within a man, then magnifies the result threefold." She paused, considering. "Of course there is a downside. The response it produces is so overwhelming that once it takes full effect, you have to mate within the hour or you'll die. I lost a couple of very nice boys before I figured that out. But don't worry; I won't make you wait very long, dear. You're too pretty to waste."

The bandit was about to declare that he'd rather be dead than screw such a nasty old woman, but he was distracted by the most wonderful, delicious, beautiful, and damn SEXY sight he had ever seen.

* * * * *

"I think I've heard about enough, no da." The monk said quietly as he teleported behind Tasuki's would-be attacker. His stomach was sick with fear for his friend. The old woman he could handle easily enough, but where were they going to find the fire seishi an appropriate mate in time?

Chichiri never looked hotter than on the rare occasions when something broke through his calm and stirred up the passionate nature the monk normally kept carefully hidden. And now, as the mage stood, maskless, his single eye narrowed in anger, everything else ceased to exist for the aroused bandit. The heat that had been flooding through his veins flared uncontrollably at the sight of his secret love. As much as he would have liked to blame his current reaction on the witch's potion, he knew he would have felt the same regardless.

"Give Tasuki the antidote for the potion you've given him. Do it now, or Heaven will not help you and I will not forgive you." The mage glared at the old witch, determined to do whatever it took to help his friend.

The old woman backed away nervously. "Please, don't hurt me! There is no antidote, I swear!" Seeing the blue-haired man grow even angrier, she added, "But you can have him, if you want. Please, just take him and go!"

Tasuki's heart raced at the thought of being carried off by Chichiri, of all the things he would do to that perfect, slender body given the chance. He tried to shout his agreement, but it came out as a low growl.

Chichiri sighed, knowing that the witch spoke the truth whether he wanted to believe her or not. "I will not leave you here to hurt anyone else." He walked slowly toward the old woman, who now looked more pathetic than dangerous as she cringed in terror.

"I just wanted a child." She sobbed over and over, totally broken.

"I'm not going to hurt you, no da, but you are going to have to answer for what you've done." The monk said gently as he reached into his pack for rope to tie his prisoner's hands. As soon as that task was finished, he grabbed a large key from her belt and approached Tasuki's cell. From what the crone had said earlier, he still had a little time to get Tasuki to a safe place.

He was coming, Chichiri was coming and he was going to open the door! Visions of pouncing on the older man and screwing him senseless left Tasuki gasping for air. It wasn't until he heard the key being placed in the lock that he found a self-control no one would have given him credit for. If the monk opened that door, it would be like it was with Miaka all over again, the fire seishi hurting - trying to rape - the ones he cared for the most. He'd rather die.

"Don't!" Using his seishi speed, Tasuki ran to the door, stuck his arm through the bars, and grasped the monk's hand to keep him from turning the key. "Don't." He repeated again, more quietly.

Chichiri looked up into his friend's eyes, hating to see them so filled with shame. There was something else there, however, that caused the older seishi to shiver slightly. So this was what it felt like to be wanted by Tasuki… Even though he knew his friend's interest wasn't real, that it was only the product of a desperate woman's magic, the monk couldn't help but enjoy the moment while it lasted.

The fire seishi's grip on Chichiri's hand tightened and the mage glanced down, past erect nipples on a heaving chest to see his friend touching himself over the blue cloth of his pants. The older man's breath caught in his throat as he fought his own arousal. For a precarious moment, he hovered on a knife's edge of temptation. He'd be doing his friend a favor, after all…

If he did, Tasuki would understand and forgive him, but would probably never look him in the eye again. The trust between them would be destroyed. The bandit was probably completely unaware of what he was doing. He had never expressed that kind of interest in any man at all, let alone Chichiri. The monk refused to take advantage of his friend's state for his own pleasure.

The bandit let out a small whimper when Chichiri pulled his hand - with the key, thank Suzaku - back sharply. He pressed himself against the bars of his prison, imagining the cold steel to be the hard heat of the monk's body.

"It will be alright, Tasuki. I'm going to go get help, no da." The monk couldn't control the hoarseness of his voice. It didn't matter; the redhead didn't seem to hear him.

With an unconscious roughness born of severely strained self-control, Chichiri grabbed the old woman by the shoulder and teleported them away, through his kasa this time.

Tasuki watched the empty straw hat rolling on the floor through iron bars. While he was extremely glad that the monk had made it away from him, to safety, it did not stop him from sobbing from the intensity of the loss of hope for his aching body.

* * * * *

"Kouji-kun! Kouji-kun, no da!!" Chichiri raced into the bandit stronghold, dragging his unfortunate prisoner behind him. The bandits standing guard watched, making no move to stop him and even gesturing to their Acting Commander's quarters. They had a good idea just how important the strange blue-haired man was to their boss, even though the monk seemed unaware of it himself.

When Chichiri reached Kouji's room, he lifted his hand to knock at the door, only to stop and sweatdrop when someone knocked first. From the *inside*.

"Who is it?" Came a familiar voice from the other side of the door.

Before Chichiri could answer, the voice answered itself. "Why, it's Kouji, ready ta greet Genrou's buddy Chichiri."

The monk sweatdropped as the one-man show continued.

"That's just fuckin' great! Genrou's gonna be thrilled when he gets back from helpin' that nice little old lady."

"That's why the Great Kouji's gonna make him real comfortable now."

Chichiri was about to give up and open the door himself - rude or not, Tasuki did not have time for this - when Kouji threw the door open, grinning broadly.

"Oi! Chichiri! How's it going? Want some sake?" The scarred bandit finally noticed the old woman huddled behind the monk. "Back already, Grandma? Where's Genrou?"

The mage pushed Kouji back into his room, following himself and pulling the old witch behind him. He glanced around to make sure the room was empty, and then slammed the door shut.

By now, the blue-haired bandit had noticed that something was very wrong. All traces of silliness left his face. "What's wrong, Chichiri? 'S Genrou in trouble?"

"Yes." Chichiri replied, pulling the elderly lady in front of him with a vicious jerk on the rope that made Kouji's eyes pop nearly out of his head. He'd never seen the monk behave like that, not even in the middle of a war.

"I didn't mean any harm!" The old woman sobbed, falling to her knees in front of the bandit.

If she was expecting sympathy, she was looking in the wrong place. Kouji was like an older brother to Tasuki; he had been ever since the seishi had joined the bandits as a scrawny 15 year old.

"What the fuck did ya do ta him?" Kouji growled.

In the end, it was Chichiri who explained the situation to Kouji. Precious minutes had been already lost. If the monk was to find help for Tasuki's condition, it had to be quick.

"Fuckin' bitch." Kouji spat at the bound woman. "Don't worry about her, we know how to deal with her kind."

"That's not important right now," Chichiri began. "First, we need to find a woman for Tasuki before it is too late. There isn't much time left."

Slowly, sadly, the scarred bandit shook his head. "There aren't any here."

"Tasuki-kun mentioned a - um, a brothel -" The monk's face turned bright red as he forced the word out. Bravely, he continued, "where you took him once, no da. If you tell me where it is, I could teleport there and bring a girl to him in almost no time, na no da."

"'S no good." Kouji said reluctantly. "Madame who runs the place is a good woman. She don't let her girls go off the premises with customers for their own safety."

Chichiri swallowed. "But surely, if we explained, no da, she could maybe make an exception?"

"From what ya said, it sounds like Genrou had it bad before ya left. Madame'd take an awful lot a' convincin'. 'An those girls are under our protection, I won't let ya just take one, not even for Genrou. He'd have my ass."

"I would never do that, no da. But if there isn't anyone else…"

The scarred bandit shook his head.

Both men realized as one that they were out of options. And the clock was ticking.

Kouji took a deep breath and looked down at his hands. "I won't let anythin' happen ta Genrou. I'll go myself."

Chichiri shook his head. Although it pained him to admit it, even to himself, part of him was glad it had come to this. "I'll handle it, no da."

The bandit felt incredibly relieved for a second, then guilty. He had known Genrou longer, after all. In many ways he still felt the redhead was his responsibility. He refused to take the easy out. "That's not fair - I'll flip ya for it."

The mage smiled, knowing what it had cost the other man to make that offer. "You're a good friend, Kouji-kun no da. But it has to be me." The monk stood and walked to a large mirror hanging on the wall. He concentrated for a minute, and then shook off his pride as he made his choice.

*Pouf!* A quick cloud of white smoke appeared, then evaporated. Instead of the thin, blue-haired seishi, a gorgeous black-haired and dark-eyed girl stood in Kouji's room, clad only in a short robe. Kouji noticed that she looked just a little bit like Miaka, having the same perfect shape, but she was obviously a little older and…more sensuous.

The girl nervously licked her full, red lips and turned to the bandit. "He'll never need to know, no da." She said quietly.

She glided across the room to the stunned bandit and held out her hand. Kouji nodded as he shook it gravely. "He'll never need ta know."

Before the mage could leave, the bandit gave him a small jar, blushing furiously. Chichiri raised a dark eyebrow at the man questioningly.

"He um, might get kinda rough, ya know? Girls - um, women that is, need a lot of preparation and ya might not have the time…"

Now blushing himself, the monk nodded his thanks.

* * * * *

Chichiri teleported back to the old woman's cottage. He remembered at the last instant not to take the easy route and return through his hat. Tasuki knew no one else could travel that way alone and the monk wanted to avoid any awkward questions later, when the bandit was thinking straight once more. Knees trembling, he descended the stairway to the redhead's cell. What was to happen between them would mean more to the monk than his friend would ever know.

Tasuki lay curled up on his side, oblivious to his surroundings. He was in pain, every inch of him desperately needing the touch of another person. No matter how hard he stroked himself, or how vividly he created images of his beloved Chichiri in his mind, he could not bring himself release.

The disguised seishi's heart nearly broke at the sight of his friend. At some point the redhead had shed even his pants and although Chichiri was careful to make plenty of noise in his approach, Tasuki never moved. The younger man lay whimpering, pumping himself desperately with tears running down his face.

The sight released the tension in the older seishi's body. His guilt over deceiving the man he loved in this way evaporated completely, replaced by a driving need to give comfort. With hands that were now perfectly steady, he placed the key in the lock and turned it.

The redhead heard the door to his prison swing open. For a heartbeat, he managed to hold his eyes shut, his mind afraid of what he would see even though he knew his body no longer cared. His body won, of course, its relentless need forcing his eyes open, ready to strike and take what it needed for survival.

She wasn't what the fire seishi had expected, the vision standing before him. Less than what he'd wanted and been unable to entirely completely keep himself from hoping for, but far, far better than what he had been afraid of. Although Tasuki had very little use for women in general, he could still appreciate female beauty when a stunning example of it was thrust in front of his face.

Chichiri had more or less expected to be pounced upon the moment he set foot into Tasuki's cell. When that didn't happen, he knew it was up to him to say something. "Good evening. My name is Sango. Your friend sent me here to help you."

Sango's voice alone, sweet, gentle and soft and just the slightest bit familiar, soothed some of the aroused man's pain. He watched her approach, convincing his anxious body that the best way to get what it needed was to keep very, very still so that he wouldn't frighten her away.

The dark haired woman's movements were graceful as she knelt by his side, placing a small jar within easy reach before turning to him. Tasuki could feel the heat of her body as she leaned over him, felt soft tendrils of her loose hair brush across his exposed chest. He shivered uncontrollably, so close to breaking but not allowing himself to give in just yet.

The monk reveled in the feel of the role he had taken, at the absolute freedom he had and his power over the gorgeous man beneath him. Later, he would pay the price in guilt and shame, but for now he would be a whore for Tasuki and enjoy every precious moment of it. He playfully batted the redhead's hands away from their fruitless attempts at self-gratification, tracing his lover's swollen erection with the lightest of touches.

The bandit groaned at his partner's light and teasing stroke. Didn't the woman understand? He was well past the point for those kinds of games. He needed more; he needed everything and he needed it *now*. Desperately, he reached out to her, threading his fingers through silken hair and pulling her down on top of him. He crushed her lips to his own, claiming her mouth with his tongue as his hands slid down her back to rest on her hips. He pulled her even closer, seeking the welcoming heat of her body with his erection, rubbing against her to create the friction that would bring him the release he needed so badly.

Chichiri was lost in the sensations of his unfamiliar body. In one sense, it was everything he had thought it would be, being close to Tasuki like this. Overwhelming passion, touches that bordered on rough, sensations that went too deeply within him to be ignored or denied. But his female form's interpretation of his feelings was strange to him, made him want to back away for a moment until he understood them better.

The disguised mage tore himself away from that confusing embrace, taking care not to go so far that the bandit would think he had been abandoned. In a flash, an idea came to him. He would live out one of his fantasies, one that should be the same no matter what the flesh he was wearing was shaped like.

The redhead growled as he felt Sango shift over him, then push away with surprising strength. However, before he could protest or move to reclaim her, she had begun quickly moving down his body, trailing hard kisses on his chest, his nipples and his navel. Golden eyes fluttered shut when the woman's tongue flickered out aggressively, tasting him and briefly humming her pleasure and approval before engulfing him in the heat and wetness of her mouth.

At last, this was heaven. Tasuki moaned loudly, not needing to worry about keeping himself still as his hips were firmly held down and his shaft sucked and licked and fucked by that talented mouth. Behind his closed eyes, it did not even occur to him to try to stop the image of Chichiri doing this to him from forming. He was so far gone that to him, fantasy was reality.

He did not even register it when his best friend's name dropped from his lips.

His partner, however, noticed. She sat up abruptly. It was only when the pleasant sensations stopped so suddenly that the bandit realized what had happened.

Chichiri blinked, panicked. What had he done wrong? Would his friend ever forgive him? "T-Tasuki-kun? How - How did you know?"

Know? What exactly was Tasuki supposed to know? All he knew was that he'd been getting the most amazing blow job of his entire life, then he'd said Chichiri's name and…

Something clicked in the bandit's lust-fogged brain. He could not have explained how he knew even if he tried, but the moment his partner asked that particular question, he knew.

"Chichiri?" Tasuki's voice was husky, the knowledge slowly sinking in that the one person he loved and wanted, the one person he *needed* more than anyone or anything else in the world had been touching him. More than that, had been making love to him.

"I'm sorry, no da." Chichiri lowered his head, terrified that now that Tasuki knew who he was, he would reject the older man, even at the cost of his own life. After all, the fire seishi had sent him away once already.

The monk rushed into a weak attempt at explanation. "I know this isn't what you wanted but we - Kouji-kun and I - couldn't find any real women in time and please, don't send me away because I don't want to live without you…" He trailed off when he realized how far he'd gone. He also realized that it did not matter what Tasuki's answer was. He was not going to let his love die, no matter what it took.

The redhead barely heard the apology, or the explanation. He wanted those kisses and touches back badly, now even more because he knew who was giving them to him.

"Chichiri, can I ask you for something?" The bandit whispered softly as he gently pulled his partner's face back to his own.

"Yes." Chichiri breathed. Anything.

Tasuki trembled. He didn't have the right to ask this; the monk was doing so much for him already.

Their faces were so close that Chichiri couldn't resist leaning down to lightly brush his lips against the younger man's.

That kiss, so sweet and seemingly untouched by the forced urgency of their lovemaking, gave the redhead the courage to continue.

"I want ya ta be yourself. Not that this," Here the bandit reached up and traced Chichiri's full, feminine lips, "well, this is lovely an' all, an' I appreciate the thought, but I'd rather it be really you. But I understand if ya don't want that." The last part came out as the faintest whisper. Tasuki was certain that this was where the monk was finally going to draw the line, but he'd never have forgiven himself if he hadn't tried.

Chichiri had not expected this, the precious gift that Tasuki was giving him so freely. He managed to reply and knowing he could not shape his feelings into words, he settled for a quiet, "Yes."

A radiant smile that was very much Chichiri's, despite the mage's current female face, filled the bandit with a sense of wonder and gave him a short respite from the lust that would have him insane or dead if he didn't come soon.

The mage took advantage of the moment of calm to stand up and quickly change back to his own body. Knowing that time was running out, he tore off the clothing that had returned with his change as quickly as possible. Lying on his side next to his lover, he quickly brought their lips together for a kiss that was wild and unrestrained and infinitely better than it had been before.

Tasuki was burning up, returning his lover's kiss for everything he was worth. He wanted to savor the slender body he had dreamed of so often, wanted to map it with his hands and his tongue completely and finally, but knew he wasn't going to last. He did the best he could, touching everything within his reach, stroking the soft skin of the older man's rock hard shaft, gently cradling his balls, tracing the sensitive area behind them.

Chichiri understood his lover's dilemma and in truth, he wasn't sure how long he could wait either. When they finally broke for air, he deftly grasped the jar Kouji had given him earlier and thrust it into Tasuki's hands, turning around so that they were spooning. Shamelessly, he ground his ass into the younger man's erection.

"Now, Tasuki."

In no mood to argue, the redhead flipped the older man onto his stomach. He briefly regretted that he wouldn't be able to look into his lover's eyes as they joined, but realized that he was very, very short on control and that this position would be easier for the inexperienced man. He gently raised Chichiri's hips until the angle was right for penetration. Tasuki growled softly, knowing that the mage had never, would never, submit like this to another. Instinct took over then and all he could think of taking that beauty and passion and making it his.

Slicked fingers thrust firmly, but still carefully, inside the monk. He had touched himself there before, fantasizing about the man who now really was poised above him. It should have been the same, but Tasuki felt so different, so much better, that Chichiri was aroused beyond belief long before the redhead's questing fingers found and brushed his sweet spot. The monk's head snapped back and he cried out loud, a wordless utterance that was a plea for the redhead to move on.

Not questioning, not thinking of anything other than burying himself inside his lover's warmth, Tasuki hastily smeared the lubricant on his aching cock and pushed himself inside, trying but failing to go as slowly as he had hoped, still taking every bit care he could.

"Dammit, Tasuki, go faster!" Chichiri could not handle the teasing slow pace of the bandit's entry. As a monk, he had developed a high degree of control over his own body; receiving that hard, hot thickness was not a burden for him but a pleasure.

That was all the redhead needed to hear. With a moan of ecstasy, he finished easing his way into that tight, hot channel.

"Gods, yes." Chichiri breathed. "Now, move. Move, please…" Tasuki felt so good, so perfect, that he older man knew he would never have enough of this.

Tasuki began to thrust slowly, momentarily amazed at his lover's ability to remain so verbal when the bandit knew he'd barely be able to produce his own name if needed. The thought faded quickly, however, as pleasure overwhelmed his overloaded senses and their pace increased. The pressure of his magically induced heat overwhelmed him and he came in a flash of intensity, pulsing for what seemed like forever into his lover's welcoming body.

The bandit became aware, as he began coming down from the high of his orgasm, that while he might have had trouble producing his own name, he had once again had no problems calling out his lover's.

Finally spent, Tasuki pulled out from the monk's body and turned him over, kissing him and touching his face. He looked down into a single, beautiful eye that was still glazed over with desire.

Chichiri was in agony. It had been so good and he had been so close, but it was over much too soon. The mage felt more helpless than he had in a very, very long time. He whimpered under Tasuki's gentle caresses, wondering what he would need to do to find release.

The redhead shook off his lethargy to flash a fanged grin at the dazed man. "Your turn, love." The last word came out unexpectedly, a product of afterglow, but it was the truth and the bandit would not have taken it back even if he could.

The monk could not comprehend what Tasuki expected of him, until the jar and its remaining contents were pressed into his hands and his lover gripped him, spreading cool slickness over his throbbing cock until that alone almost undid him entirely. Barely aware of what he was doing, he reached up to prepare the younger man, trying to be every bit as careful as Tasuki had been, watching golden eyes carefully for hints of pleasure or pain.

Tasuki groaned as he felt himself hardening again already. Finally able to look into his lover's eye, finally able to relax and enjoy their lovemaking, he soon found himself every bit as aroused as he had been earlier. Chichiri's hands were warm and gentle inside him, those long fingers stroking him repeatedly until they found what they had been looking for, making him gasp in shock and pleasure.

When the bandit pulled himself off of Chichiri's hand abruptly, for a brief, terrifying moment he was afraid the younger man had changed his mind. Instead, he watched the beautiful redhead lower himself down, then felt the pressure of his inner muscles against the head of his cock. He fought the urge to push up into that heat, breathing heavily and trusting Tasuki to make this pleasurable for both of them.

The bandit fought hard to relax as he began to lower himself slowly onto the mage. He had only bottomed once before, with Nuriko, but that had been entirely different. Their relationship had been one of convenience and strong friendship, not love. It had been a comfort, a substitute for the men they had really wanted. Tasuki had been the receiver only at his own insistence; Nuriko had hated to take the male role. As a result, the coupling had been awkward and uncomfortable. He wanted so badly to do better for Chichiri.

The monk sensed his lover's hesitation and reached up to cup his cheek soothingly. He wrapped his other hand around Tasuki's hardened shaft, stroking firmly as he finally allowed his hips to move upward slightly, pushing into the bandit's warmth. He watched with awe as he slowly disappeared into the redhead's body.

Tasuki let out a gasp when Chichiri began to move, touching him and gently taking him. The blue-haired man was watching intently, his eye darkened and half-lidded with desire. It wasn't like it had been with Nuriko at all. Chichiri wanted to be there, wanted to be inside him. The thought made his heart ache within his chest and sent a surge of excitement through his body. Finally able to relax, it became very easy for him to take in the rest of his lover's length. He wiggled a little, trying to ensure that every possible inch of that beautiful man was his.

Chichiri almost screamed when he felt the tension release from his lover's body and the bandit took the rest of him in so quickly. Complete and joined, Tasuki wiggled and this time the monk did cry out in pleasure. He now understood why the redhead had come so quickly. After so much teasing, that tight and warm body was simply too much. Knowing he wasn't going to last very long, he concentrated on touching his lover, hoping to bring him to completion as well.

He had died and gone to Heaven, Tasuki decided as he made love to Chichiri. The monk was loud, which surprised him even though it shouldn't have. After all, everything else about the older man was perfect; naturally he would be perfect in this as well. It became a game, a test for the fire seishi to see if he could make Chichiri come before the intense combination of the sounds, the monk's touch and the feeling of having his love deep within him brought him over the edge first.

It was a challenge the bandit lost. One particularly powerful stroke hit his sweet spot and there was nothing he could do but give in, this peak somewhat less intense than his first, but every bit as wonderful in its own way.

The sight of Tasuki lost in orgasm, denied to the monk the first time, took him past the point of return even as it signaled the end of his need to keep control. The rush was incredible, so intense it shook him to his core. When he returned to himself, it was to find Tasuki's warm arms wrapped around him, lips kissing him gently. Peace and contentment filled the space between them and it was not long before the redhead succumbed to sleep.

Ignoring the whispering voice in the back of his mind that suggested he should leave now and avoid an awkward awakening, Chichiri chose instead to enjoy this closeness while it lasted. He rested his head on his lover's chest and let the sound of Tasuki's heart carry him off to sleep as well.

* * * * *

Chichiri woke first, several hours later. Used to being up alone, when he first opened his eye and saw Tasuki, he half believed he was still in the middle of a dream.

He then became aware of several other things in rapid succession: the fact that they were lying on the dirt floor of a prison cell, that they were both naked, and that despite being sticky his body felt better than he could ever remember. He knew that it wasn't a dream and that he and Tasuki had actually made love.

The monk surprised himself with his lack of worry. Despite the fact that he had lied to Tasuki and had gone to him after being sent away, there was a deep sense of rightness about them being together like this that nothing seemed to be able to shake.

It wasn't long before Tasuki stirred and began to wake up, unconsciously pulling a very warm and contented Chichiri closer to his body. The fire seishi reluctantly opened one eye, drinking in the sight of his love smiling at him softly.

The monk reacted the second he began to see questions forming on the younger man's face. Surprised at his own daring, he leaned up and captured the redhead's lips in a sweet kiss. He did not linger too long; the kiss was a question and he wanted the answer more than he had ever wanted anything in his life.

The redhead broke out into the largest, goofiest fanged grin ever.

"You think I'm gonna let ya get away with that?" Tasuki teased as he showed Chichiri what a mountain bandit considered a proper wake-up kiss.

When they eventually separated, a serious look crept over the fire seishi's face. "Thank you for saving me." He felt himself blushing as he thought about what that had entailed and wondered what the chances were that it would happen again. Soon.

An answering pink tinge colored the monk's cheeks as he answered, "I told you, I don't want to live without you, Tasuki. I love you."

"Really?" The bandit asked, stars beginning to gleam in his eyes. "Does that mean we get ta do it again?"

Chichiri hit him then, but not too hard. The redhead made a playful pouting face in return. It looked so silly that the monk couldn't help but burst out laughing, the joy within him bubbling up to the surface, overflowing. Eventually, Tasuki could no longer sustain his pout and collapsed in laughter as well.

When they had quieted, Tasuki pulled his lover in for another kiss. Before their lips met, he whispered quietly, "You know I love you too. So much."

It was a very tired and very messy pair that eventually teleported back to the bandit hideout.

* * * * *

~ Owari